Which of these two PPC ads do you think had a higher CTR? Read both ads, make your decision, then scroll down to discover the answer.

PPC Ad #1

PPC Ad #2

There were actually a few contests that would have been great to feature this week. One of them had an even bigger improvement — 188% vs. 126% — but I chose this particular contest because of the lesson it teaches.

So: Have you chosen the winner? If so, keep reading…

The winning ad is the first one. It was written by “wordisborn,” and it won by a massive 126% — more than double the CTR of the original ad.

Why did it win? Let me count the reasons…

1. The winning ad uses two keyword phrases — “Spanish bath products” and “bath products from Spain.” The losing ad uses only one keyword phrase. This means the winning ad gets more bolded text on a higher number of searches.

2. The winning ad chooses similar title text, but rewords it just slightly. I have to assume this had a positive impact on CTR, although I’ve seen cases where the title structure in the losing ad won (keyword phrase first, descriptor/modifier second).

3. The losing ad assumes searchers will know the meaning of the Spanish words on the first line of body copy. This is the single biggest reason this ad lost. It is common to assume your buyers are more educated than they actually are. Simplicity and clarity almost always trump sophistication and cleverness. Never forget that.

4. The winning ad mirrors back exactly what the searcher is looking for. “Get great soap, perfume and more bath products from Spain.” This wording is so clear it can’t possibly be misunderstood.

5. The losing ad uses the second line of body copy inefficiently. “Fine Products of Spain in America” is confusing. If the last two words were deleted, the ad would actually be better.

6. The losing ad uses no punctuation, so the ad is difficult to read. Should there be a period after “Magno”? I don’t know. In fact, I don’t know what “Magno” means. Should I read it as “Magno Fine Products from Spain”? I don’t know. And I bet your average searcher doesn’t know either.

7. The winning ad finishes strong. The phrase “All here” works on two levels. On one level, it implies variety. On another level, it works as a call to action, very similar to “Click here.” This gives the searcher one last push to click the ad and visit the site.

The bottom line: The new ad wins because it does not assume searchers will be familiar with Spanish words. Rather, it spells out everything very clearly, reiterates important keyword phrases, and finishes strong.

About the Author: Ryan Healy is a direct response copywriter and BoostCTR writer. Since 2002, he has worked with scores of clients, including Alex Mandossian, Terry Dean, and Pulte Homes. He writes a popular blog about copywriting, advertising, and business growth, and is the creator of Paid On Time, the World’s First Affiliate Trust Seal.

David Greenbaum is the CEO of Boost Media (www.boostmedia.com), the world’s leading creative optimization platform. Prior to founding Boost, David was an Associate at Plum Capital, a media-focused Venture Capital firm, was Director of Strategy and M&A at Interval Leisure Group (NASDAQ: IILG) and was an Analyst at Goldman Sachs. David is a recognized expert on creative optimization and speaks at Stanford GSB, Search Insider Summit, Ad:Tech and Search Engine Strategies.more from this author